Babysitting
by dayana82
Summary: Written for the just-kiss-her community on LJ. Prompt: Becker is left holding the baby. Literally! Full prompt at the beginning of the story. BeckerJess - what else. Rating for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Babysitting

**Author:** little_profiler

**Fandom:** Primeval

**Pairing:** Becker/Jess

**Rating:** K

**Disclaimer:** Neither the show nor the characters belong to me, they belong to ITV1. Nonetheless, I love to borrow them from time to time. The idea of the story as well as the story itself – including all possible pre- or sequels published afterwards – are mine.

**Summary:** Written for the just-kiss-her vanilla kink meme. The prompt was "Becker is left holding the baby. Literally! Maybe they're at a family get together, or even better if it's because he's just done an emergency rescue during a creature incursion (because then you get the great image of him holding a baby whilst dressed in his black combat gear and also holding at least one gun!).  
Jess sees this and thinks it's adorable/hilarious/terrifying/any or all of the above!" by deinonychus_1.

**Warnings:** not beta-read

**Author notes:** Well, I had this little sequel to 'Quarantine' and 'Miracle' in mind for a long time, but I wasn't really sure if I actually wanted to write it. Then there was this prompt, and… well, here's the story. ;)

And, oh, the creature incursion is just for you, prompter. ;)

"The anomaly is closed," Matt reported, handing back his black box at the ADD. "We sent the Deinonychus back through before we locked it. The nanny's been brought to a hospital, she'll probably make it. Until the parents arrive, we have to take care of junior here."

That being said, Matt disappeared through the main corridor.

"Hey, um… what about…" Becker asked, but couldn't even finish the sentence before Matt was out of sight. "Great," he grumbled.

"I don't know, it kind of suits you," Abby teased with a wide grin on her face.

Jess, her curiosity aroused, turned around – and froze in her chair. There he was, standing in the middle of the ADD, holding a baby in his arms. A _baby_!

Well, actually he was holding the baby in one arm while holding his EMD in the other hand which made the whole scene look kind of… out of a Marvel comic. Normally, she would have laughed about it – but she didn't feel one bit like laughing at the moment.

"He seems to like you," Lester commented from the door to his office. "Why don't you take care of him until his parents get here? And put the gun away when his parents arrive, it might ruin the impression you took _good_ care of their son."

"I… um… Abby, isn't that a woman thing?" he tried. "You know, natural maternal instinct and all that?"

"Sorry, not for me," Abby told him with a smirk. "Why do you even worry? You're doing really great."

"Yeah, as long as he's not doing a poo," he grunted.

Abby giggled. "Then you'll have to change his nappies."

"I'm not going to change anyone," Becker argued, gently swaying the baby without really noticing it as the little boy stirred in his arms.

Jess almost wasn't able to hold back the tears that wanted to spring to her eyes. Abby was right, the baby suited Becker really well – and he was indeed doing great with the little boy. But he didn't seem to enjoy it one bit.

The sight scared her in the strangest of all ways. He looked much more handsome and much more attractive than ever with the baby scooped up in his arms – and he looked just as horrified by the idea of holding the baby.

Seeing him like this made Jess realise that there was no way they were ever going to have children. He didn't like children. He didn't want them. They wouldn't have any.

"It's okay, just… give him to me," Jess offered. "I'll take care of him."

Becker stared at her for a second, before sighing with relief and handing the baby over to her. "You're a life-saver," he whispered, gently kissing the top of her head.

"Yeah, you know, it's a woman thing," she told him, lovingly looking at the baby in her arms. "Natural maternal instinct and all that."

He smiled as he watched Jess cradle the baby. She looked… beautiful, and in a strange way sexy with the baby in her arms. And for a moment, just for a brief moment, Becker imagined her holding _their_ baby.

"Children aren't all that bad, huh?" Abby whispered next to him.

"Oh, look who's talking," he grumbled.

"She seems to be a natural talent," Abby said, pointing her head towards Jess. "Unfortunately, I'm not."

"Have you ever really tried?" he asked in all honesty.

Abby blinked at him. "No," she admitted. "But I guess I would if I had to. I mean, if by any chance I got pregnant… Not that Connor and I are actually thinking about it… Well, you know what I mean."

"Yeah," he replied, chuckling slightly.

"What about you?" Abby wanted to know.

He turned to raise his eyebrow at her. Then he shrugged, turning back to Jess. "I always thought I never wanted children. I mean, with everything that's out there and my job…"

"You thought?" she pressed him.

He frowned, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Yeah, at one time."

"She really seems to enjoy taking care of the baby," Abby said with a wide grin.

Becker couldn't help but smile. It was obvious that Jess got along really well with the baby, and that she got great pleasure from it.

Jess was indeed enjoying taking care of the baby, whose name was Adam, as a tag on his clothes told her. In fact, she was enjoying it way too much for her own good. She really shouldn't get used to this. It was never going to be, not when she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Becker – and she absolutely wanted to.

She was sad when Adam's parents came to pick him up. Gently stroking her abdomen, she allowed her mind for a brief second to imagine having an own child, cradling it in her arms, nursing it, feeding it, taking it to bed…

"Thanks for saving me from taking care of him," Becker told her with a smile. "You know, I'm… really not all that good with kids. I mean, not as good as you are."

That almost was enough to let the dam break, but again she managed to hold her tears back. "You're welcome," she simply said, before quickly – much too quickly – heading back to the ADD.

Becker frowned as he watched her leave. Apparently, he had said something wrong. But he honestly didn't know what it was. Even after almost two months, he sometimes simply wasn't able to make sense of her behaviour.

He would buy her chocolate and apologize, even if he wasn't sure for what. Maybe he could get her to talk about it.

He left the building for lunch instead of eating with the others to buy some of her favourite chocolate and some prawn crackers, just in case – and was surprised not to find her in the ADD. A few minutes later he was in panic because he couldn't find her at all.

They had pretty much searched the whole building for her, until it occurred to Abby where she might be hiding. Something had been wrong this morning. She had been different after Adam's parents had picked him up.

As a matter of fact, she had seemed distraught about it – or maybe about something else, but she refused to talk. She'd told everyone she was just fine.

Abby had guessed she and Becker had fought about something, but Becker had assured her it wasn't the case. Yet something was wrong about their field coordinator.

Carefully, Abby opened the door to the lady's rest room. She heard sniffling coming from one of the cubicles.

"Jess," she softly asked, knocking on the door. "Jess, open up! We've been searching the whole building for you for almost two hours."

"I just wanted to be alone," she sniffled behind the closed door. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Because you disappeared without notice, and because you're all in tears," Abby told her. "Please, Jess, tell me what's wrong."

She reluctantly opened the door, looking at Abby, her face covered in tears. "I don't know what to do," she admitted between sobs.

"What happened, Jess?" Abby pressed her. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

She looked down, shaking her head. She couldn't tell Abby – or anyone else for that matter. It wouldn't change anything anyway. And she was sure Becker wouldn't want anyone to know; if he had known.

"It's about Adam, isn't it?" Abby guessed. Her mood had changed after his parents had picked him up, after all.

"No, yes… somehow," she mumbled.

Abby frowned at her. "Jess, I honestly don't know how to help you," she finally said. "Please, tell me what's wrong!"

She raised her head to look at Abby, and then sniffled. "Becker doesn't want kids," she whispered.

Okay, that certainly wasn't what a girl wanted to hear – but they were both still very young and they had only just started dating after they'd almost died about two months ago. It wasn't like this was a relevant matter, unless…

"Oh, my God," Abby burst out. "You're pregnant!"

Jess nodded, and then burst into tears again.

"Wow," was all Abby managed to say. She honestly hadn't expected this.

"I… I know it was stupid, there are so many ways not to get pregnant," she mumbled between sniffles. "But we thought we were going to die, and the last thing we thought about was… using protecting…"

"Wait a second," Abby exclaimed, interrupting her. "Here, in the medical bay, while you were in quarantine?"

She nodded, sobbing once more.

Gently pulling her into a tight embrace, Abby asked, "Does Becker know?"

Jess shook her head, sniffling.

"You should talk to him first," Abby advised. "You might be surprised."

"I can't," Jess replied between soft sobs. "He… doesn't want children."

"Talk to him, Jess," Abby insisted. "He's really worried about you."

Not waiting for Jess's permission, Abby walked outside, nodding at Becker to tell him that Jess was inside.

"Be careful with her," she whispered. "This is bigger than you can imagine."

Frowning, Becker stepped inside. He found Jess huddled up against the wall, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

Rushing to her side, he gently pulled her into his arms. "Jess, what's wrong?" he whispered. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm… so… s… sorry," she stuttered between hard sobs.

"About what, Jess?" he carefully pressed her. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

She raised her head to look at him. "I'm… pr… pregnant," she whispered.


	2. Pitfalls

**Title: **Pitfalls

**Author:** little_profiler

**Fandom:** Primeval

**Pairing:** Becker/Jess

**Rating:** M (just in case)

**Disclaimer:** Neither the show nor the characters belong to me, they belong to ITV1. Nonetheless, I love to borrow them from time to time. The idea of the story as well as the story itself – including all possible pre- or sequels published afterwards – are mine.

**Summary:** Written for the just-kiss-her vanilla kink meme. The prompt was "Pregnant!Jess. With Overly_Protective!Becker. *vbg*" by morrigans_eve.

**Warnings:** not beta-read

**Author notes:** Yep, the prompt was just perfect for the sequel to 'Babysitting'. :)

Becker blinked at her, her words slowly – very slowly – sinking in. Then his eyes widened. "You… You're… what?"

"I'm… p… pregnant," she repeated, sobbing even harder this time.

His jaw dropped, and he stared at her blankly for a second. She was pregnant. They were going to have a… baby. Only nine months, maybe even less, and they would hold _their_ baby in their arms…

The image of her holding little Adam popped up in his mind. It wouldn't be long before it really was their baby she'd be holding in her arms.

A wide grin spread across his face, and he lifted her up to swirl her around, making her shriek in surprise, before catching her in his arms. "Wow," he whispered into her ear. "We're going to have a baby."

Jess pulled back to look at him. "You… You're… glad about it?"

"Of course, I am," he told her, leaning down to softly peck her lips. "I mean, after the first shock settled down."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," she whispered, sniffling slightly. "I… thought you didn't want children."

"Well, that was before I heard you were pregnant," Becker replied, cupping her cheek with his hand. "And before I saw you with Adam this morning."

"I… Are you… sure?" she whispered. "I mean, are you sure that you are… that _we_ are ready for this?"

"I don't know," he said with a smile. "I honestly don't know. But I… I can imagine you holding our baby, and the image doesn't scare me one bit. So, yes, I think I'm ready for this – if you are."

"I am," she told him, even though she wasn't entirely sure. But she knew she wanted this baby so badly.

"Wow," Becker repeated, smiling widely at her. "We're going to have a baby."

"Yeah," Jess whispered, still not believing he actually wanted this child. The smile on her face was matching his, if not wider. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so happy, so overflowing with bliss.

"I love you," he whispered, leaning down to capture her lips with his.

Jess choked, pulling back and looking at Becker in shock. "Excuse me," she mumbled, before rushing back into one of the cubicles and emptying her stomach into the loo.

"I'm sorry," she rasped a few seconds later, leaning over the sink to rinse her mouth.

"Actually, this was a new reaction to me kissing you," he mumbled.

"This didn't have anything to do with you," she told him, looking at him through the mirror. "It's just the morning sickness – or well, the afternoon sickness in this case."

"I know," he told her, wrapping his arms back around her. "Didn't you get something for that?"

"I didn't get anything yet," Jess replied. "I just… freaked out and left the doctor's office when she told me I was pregnant, I guess."

"How long exactly have you already known?" he softly asked.

"About a week," she admitted. "I mean, I haven't really known until I took the test – and even after that I thought the test might be wrong. But yesterday, my doctor affirmed I was pregnant."

Becker opened his mouth to ask why she hadn't told him earlier, but reconsidered it. Instead he softly suggested, "Let me take you home. Maybe you should get some rest."

"Becker, I'm pregnant, not ill," she objected. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she sighed. "But I can't go back to work looking like this."

"You should go home," Becker repeated. "You can get something for the nausea and come back to work tomorrow."

Jess choked again, but managed to keep the contents of her stomach inside. "Yeah, that sounds like a plan," she whispered.

They told Lester that Jess was feeling unwell – and he didn't ask any questions at the sight of her pale face and her red eyes. He just sent both of them home.

Becker took her to the gynaecologist first so she could get a recipe for the antinauseant.

"There are a few more things we have to talk about," the doctor said with a smile, asking them both to come into her office.

"The morning sickness usually stops after the first three months of pregnancy," Dr. Jenkins explained. "You should eat smaller meals several times a day, every two or three hours. Avoid spicy and acidic foods. If you're feeling unwell, I'm going to prescribe a mild herbal antinauseant. Only if the sickness doesn't get better, we'll think about stronger medications. But I'm rather sure this will make you feel better."

"Okay," Jess said, nodding. She wondered how this was supposed to be consistent with her work. But she knew Becker would make sure she stuck to the strict diet.

"That's all for today," Dr. Jenkins said with a smile. "Unless you need to see me earlier, I'd like to see you in three weeks for the first ultrasound test."

Jess nodded again, taking a deep breath. She just hoped the nausea would be over soon.

After the gynaecologist, Becker drove Jess to the chemist's and finally home. He made her lie down on the couch, even though she assured him that she was fine.

He cooked for her, a small meal, not too spicy and not acidic, as Dr. Jenkins had suggested, and then sat down next to her on the couch, gently catching her in his arms.

Sighing, Jess snuggled into the embrace as she finished her homemade chicken soup. She could definitely get used to Becker taking care of her.

After the morning sickness was gone thanks to her new eating habits, Jess soon perceived the nice sides of a pregnancy. She was allowed to lie down and rest whenever she felt like it without having to explain herself. Becker was an absolute angel, and technically she was able to make love to Becker every day. Technically.

Alas, she soon found out that this was exactly one of the hateful sides of her pregnancy. While her libido was pretty much exploding and she felt like dragging Becker into the next empty room for some groping the whole day long, his libido seemed to have vanished. He wasn't even kissing her anymore. In fact, all the physical contact she got was some cuddling.

After three weeks Jess was sure she was slowly going insane, even though she felt physically great. The diet was working well. The morning sickness was gone, except for a slight feeling of malaise about twice a week. But she couldn't enjoy it. Not with Becker being a pregnancy nut. She was mothered, she was frustrated and she was going up the wall with prurience.

Unfortunately, the only thing that ever happened in their bed was Becker bringing her breakfast – so that she didn't have to get up. Jess rolled her eyes every time. She was fed up with decaf, she was fed up with spending hours just sitting around… and she was so fed up with taking care of herself when he wasn't around.

And hell, she was moody. But despite what everyone else thought, it had absolutely nothing to do with the pregnancy or any hormones. It was just Becker driving her insane.

While at work, he checked on her every thirty minutes, asking how she was feeling and if she needed anything. At first it had been cute. But after about four days it had become annoying, especially since it kept her from doing her work.

He kept cooking for her, which surely was cute, but since she wasn't allowed to get up in her apartment or at work unless absolutely necessary, it soon became annoying as well.

Jess kept telling him that she wasn't ill, just pregnant, but it was pointless. He refused to stop treating her like she was made of porcelain. When he suggested carrying her to the loo, she was about to scratch his eyes out in frustration.

Jess decided to ask Dr. Jenkins about all this. Maybe she could make Becker understand that she was fine and didn't need to be… babied.

Not that this was a matter she wanted to address at her doctor's, but she knew she wouldn't survive this pregnancy – or maybe Becker wouldn't – if he didn't change his behaviour and… well, treated her like a woman again.

The ultrasound test was exciting, even though there wasn't much to be seen yet. But the mere thought of the small bean at the screen being their baby made a tear of joy run down Jess's cheek, as she reached for Becker's hand.

"This is our baby," he whispered into her ear, gently kissing her temple. He still couldn't believe this was real. It was… simply overwhelming.

"Do you have any more questions?" Dr. Jenkins asked after the test was done looking at both Jess and Becker.

"Am I allowed to get up?" Jess asked without ceremony.

Dr. Jenkins frowned at her. "Of course, why wouldn't you…" Seeing Becker's reaction, she smirked. "Oh, I see. Don't worry, Mr. Becker, your girlfriend and the baby are perfectly fine. There's no need to treat them with kid gloves. They are both allowed to do whatever they feel like doing."

"Does that include…" Jess started, but didn't seem sure how to finish the sentence.

Dr. Jenkins smiled knowingly. "Yes," she said. "It is safe for the baby if you have sex whenever you feel like it. As long as there aren't any problems in your pregnancy – and so far there are none – it is safe. The baby won't notice anything and you won't hurt it."

Jess blinked at her. How could she have known what she wanted to ask?

"You're not the only parents-to-be I treat," Dr. Jenkins explained. "Sooner or later most of them come up with this question."

"Oh," Jess said, sighing with relief. She hadn't been sure she could ask Dr. Jenkins such a delicate question, but she had been sure she didn't want to do without some passionate love-making for the rest of her pregnancy.

"Don't be afraid to enjoy the time of the pregnancy – without any restrictions," the doctor told them with a smile. "Your baby will let you know if it doesn't like anything."

"Like the smell of raw fish," Jess said, nodding.

Dr. Jenkins smirked. "Yeah, like that."

Becker shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but didn't say anything. He kept feeling uncomfortable for the rest of the talk to the doctor and for the rather silent drive back to Jess's place. He knew he was driving her insane, but he couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to her or the baby.

Was it really safe if she went on like before the pregnancy? What if there were any complications they didn't know of yet? He sighed, not escaping the feeling that he could only do this wrong.

Jess had a mischievous smile on her face when they finally arrived at her apartment.

Becker swallowed. He knew this look – and he knew what it meant.

Walking up to Becker, she leaned up to whisper in his ear, "Why don't you take me to bed now?" She nibbled his earlobe to make clear what exactly she had in mind.

Becker pushed her away. "Jess, you should get some rest. It's been a long day and…"

"No," she almost shouted, interrupting him a little harsher than she had wanted to. "Stop babying me! I'm not ill, I'm pregnant – and right now, I'm really, _really_ hot for you."

He opened his mouth to argue with her.

"Don't make me ask Matt to help me out," she threatened.

Becker grumbled, feeling a strong rush of jealousy washing over him. Why Matt of all people?

Jess sighed with frustration. "Becker, I don't need to be babied. I don't _want_ to be babied," she told him, gesticulating wildly. "As a matter of fact, I am fed up with being babied."

"I know," he mumbled contritely. "But I… I just don't want anything to happen to you or the baby."

Jess sighed, the expression on her face softening. "I understand that," she assured him. "And it's really cute how you take care of me, but… I'm still a woman – and I still have certain… interests I absolutely don't want to abandon."

He couldn't help smirking at that. He had to admit, he missed the feeling of her skin against his as much as the taste of her lips. And he was definitely attracted to her, even more than before she'd been pregnant. It was like there was a new, special aura of sexiness surrounding her. He just feared it would make her feel sick again.

She moved a little closer to him. "I'm fed up with doing this on my own," she whispered.

Becker's head shot up and he glared at her. "What?"

Jess rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Then she brought her mouth next to his ear, hoping to get the desired effect. "So, do I have to call Matt?"

A shiver ran down his spine, and before he could even think about it, his arms were wrapped around her middle pulling her close against him. Carefully, he started nibbling her neck.

Jess moaned. God, it had been so damn long. Pressing him against the wall, she kissed him greedily and started unbuckling the belt of his jeans.

Becker pulled back a little. "I don't… want to hurt you," he mumbled.

Jess groaned in frustration. "You won't," she assured him, before leaning in closer again. "But if you don't take me to the bedroom right now, I might hurt you."

Reluctantly, he gave in, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to the bedroom.

He was gentle, a little too gentle for Jess's liking, but it was still breathtakingly amazing to finally feel him again.

"I'm rather sure the baby really enjoyed that," Jess purred as she snuggled up close against him. "I know her mother did."

"Her?" Becker asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Jess shrugged against his skin. "Yeah, I have a feeling it's going to be a girl."

Smiling, Becker wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "You know, I've been thinking about this, us and the baby, I mean."

"Okay," she said with a frown, not sure where this was supposed to go.

"Yeah, you know, I… I just want our baby to be born into a real family," he explained. "Not two people occasionally spending time at the other's place."

She raised her head to look at him. "So… You're suggesting… moving in together?" she asked hesitantly, not sure she was getting him right.

Smiling Becker reached to the floor and into the pocket of his jeans. "Actually, I was thinking about a bit more than that," he whispered, opening the small velvet box and revealing a diamond ring.

"Oh, my God," Jess gasped, her heart started pounding like mad.

"Jessica Parker," he started, carefully brushing his index finger over her cheek to make her look into his eyes. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes," she exclaimed, throwing herself at him and kissing him passionately. "Yes, yes, yes!"

He smiled brightly at her, as he took out the ring to put it on her finger. "Definitely the reaction I was hoping for," he said with a grin.

Jess looked at the new piece of jewellery on her finger and then gave Becker a watery smile. She couldn't believe he had really proposed.

"I love you, Jess," he told her in all honesty, pulling her down for a soft lingering kiss.

"I love you, too," she whispered, climbing on top of him, and kissing him passionately, "Very, very much," she added between kisses she spread over his chest.

"We… shouldn't get carried away," he objected.

Jess looked at him with a mixture of hunger and fury. "Don't think just because I'm head over heels in love with you and overflowing with bliss because you proposed, I won't slaughter you and hide your body in my lawn if you keep depriving me of this."

"Okay," he replied with a chuckle – even though he wasn't entirely sure this was an empty threat.

She rolled her hips, smiling triumphantly when he moaned. "Does that mean you're going to oblige?" she whispered.

He knew he didn't have a chance. There was no way he could keep his hands off of her much longer. Grinning, he tried to turn them so that he was on top.

But Jess pushed his hands from her hips, staying where she was. "I'm going to take the lead," she stated.

Becker raised an eyebrow at her. He knew how much she enjoyed leaving the control to him and being completely at his mercy. There only had been very few occasions where she had wanted to take over control.

"You were gentle," she whispered for an explanation.

Becker frowned. "What's wrong with being gentle?"

"Nothing," Jess told him with a mischievous grin. "But right now I want something else." She leaned down, repeating the movement of her lips and at the same time nibbling his neck.

He drew in a shaky breath before croaking, "And what?"

She smiled, letting her tongue trail the outside of his auricle, well aware of what this did to him. "Right now I want fast and good and… a bit dirty," she whispered, shrieking the next second when he whirled them around.

She complained, trying to fight him, but his arms pinned hers to the bed and he was much stronger than she was. Eventually, she gave in, not without another grumble.

Smiling, Becker leaned down to capture her lips with his again. He let his hands roam her body, making her whimper and beg for more.

But he was going slow again, and she wasn't in the mood for slow. "Please…" she panted. "I told you what I need."

He stopped, looking at her with a concerned frown. "Are you… sure?"

She growled. "Becker," her voice was threatening, even for an experienced soldier like him.

"Okay, okay," he replied, raising a hand in defence, and rolling them over so that she was on top again.

Her smile was lecherous as she took in the sight of him completely at her mercy. "Much better," she mumbled.


	3. Family

**Title: **Family

**Author:** little_profiler

**Fandom:** Primeval

**Pairing:** Becker/Jess

**Rating:** T (just in case)

**Disclaimer:** Neither the show nor the characters belong to me, they belong to ITV1. Nonetheless, I love to borrow them from time to time. The idea of the story as well as the story itself – including all possible pre- or sequels published afterwards – are mine.

**Summary:** Written for the just-kiss-her vanilla kink meme. The prompt was "From the moment Jess meet Becker she knew she fancied him, it took a while longer for him to realise that he liked her too." by mydoctortennant.

**Warnings:** not beta-read

**Author notes:** Follow up to 'Pitfalls'. I'm sorry about the ending, I couldn't resist. Really, I tried. But I couldn't... It was just too tempting. *evil grin*

"Take the corridor to your left," Jess told Matt over the comm. "Follow it for three hundred twenty feet and then turn right."

"Mrs Becker," Lester called from the door to his office.

Jess turned around smiling brightly at him. It had already been four months since the wedding, but she still wasn't entirely used to being called Mrs Becker. She still couldn't believe all this was true.

"Yes, sir?" she asked. But the next second her face twisted with pain. She gasped, pressing a hand to her side.

Lester frowned in concern as he hurried down to the ADD. "Jess, what's wrong?" he wanted to know.

"Nothing," she assured him, taking a deep breath. "It's just a sudden pain. No big deal."

"Uh huh," he replied, grinning knowingly.

"What?" she asked with a frown. "It really was just… Oh, my God." She gasped again, wincing in pain.

"Okay, Jess, that was it for today," Lester said, helping her up from the chair. "Call someone to cover for you and then I'll take you to the medical bay."

"I'm fine," she objected.

"I know you are," he replied with a smile, something that seemed very unusual for him. "But you went into labour."

"What?" she shrieked. "No! No, that's not possible. I mean, I still have about a week left and…"

"Relax, Jess, everything is going to be fine," Lester assured her, trying to calm her down. He remembered very well how his wife had freaked out while giving birth to their first child.

"Tanner, you'll cover for Jess," he commanded.

"Where's Becker?" Jess asked. "He… He's supposed to be here."

"Don't worry, he will be here in time," Lester told her, leading – or rather dragging – her towards the medical bay.

"What if he won't?" she pressed him, her voice filled with panic. "He's on a mission. What if he won't be here before the baby is born? I can't do this without him."

"Of course, you can, Jess," Lester said in the softest tone he could manage. "Don't worry, everything is going to be okay. I'll call him right after I took you to the medical bay. Trust me, there is plenty of time for him to get here before the baby is born."

"Are you sure?" Jess panted rather than said.

"Yes, I am," Lester told her in all seriousness. "I have two children, remember?"

"Okay," she replied with a nod, trying to calm down. "Everything's going to be fine."

"Of course, it is," Lester assured her, leading her into the medical bay, nodding at one of the doctors. "There's nothing to worry about."

She cried out in pain as another contraction ran through her body. "No, I can't do this," she whispered. "I can't."

"Of course, you can," Lester insisted, taking her hand in his. "Jess, you took all the classes, you talked to the doctors here and to your gynaecologist about a hundred times. There's no way to be better prepared for this."

"I'm not prepared for this," she told him, her face filled with fear. "I'm so not prepared for this."

"Jess, you'll do great," he answered, sitting down by her side. "You don't need to be afraid."

"But I am," she objected, sniffling slightly.

"I know," Lester said with a sigh. He hadn't been able to calm down his wife when she had gone into labour. Why would it be any different with Jess?

"Please, don't go away," she whispered all of a sudden. "I… I don't want to be alone here, and Becker and the rest of the team are in the field, and… I really don't want anyone here I don't trust…"

"Jess, Jess, relax," he replied softly, interrupting her. "I promise, I'll stay here until Becker arrives."

"Thank you," she told him with a watery smile, slightly squeezing his hand.

"Shall we?" one of the doctors asked, interrupting them.

"No," Jess quickly objected. "I… My… My husband has yet to arrive, and…"

"Mrs Becker, we just want to look at you to estimate the time it will take until the baby is coming," Dr. Miller said with a smile. "We can call your gynaecologist if you like."

"No, I… I'll be fine if you walk me through this," Jess replied. Lester was right, she had spent hours talking to Dr. Miller beforehand, and she trusted her as much as she trusted Dr. Jenkins.

"I'll call Becker," Lester stated, letting go of her hand. "I'll be with you in a minute."

Nodding, Jess let Dr. Miller lead her into one of the empty rooms. They were prepared for her giving birth to her child here. When she had insisted on working as long as possible, they had made sure of that. She should be prepared, too. But she really wasn't sure she was.

Lester took out his mobile phone, hitting speed dial. "Becker, get back to the ARC, now!"

Becker frowned at his phone. "I'm at a mission, and we still have to capture…"

"Your wife went into labour," Lester explained, interrupting his head of security.

"What?" Becker shrieked, dropping his EMD. "Where is she?"

"At the armoury cleaning your weapons," the other man replied. "Where the hell do you _think_ she is?"

"I'm on my way," Becker said, yelling something at Abby that certainly was supposed to mean that Jess went into labour and he was heading back to the ARC, before disappearing.

Lester hung up his phone – something Becker had obviously forgotten – and knocked on the door to Jess' room.

Smiling at their young field coordinator, he sat down on the side of her bed. "How is it going?" he asked.

"Where's Becker?" Jess wanted to know without answering Lester's question.

"He'll be here in no time at all, I promise," Lester assured her.

"The contractions are only a minute apart and they're getting stronger," Dr. Miller explained. "Seems like the new member of your facility is in a hurry."

"No," Jess exclaimed with a shriek. "I can't have the baby before Becker is here."

Dr. Miller gave her a warm smile. "I doubt that your little one will listen to us." She already knew the baby's sex, but accepted that Jess and Becker didn't want to know beforehand.

Jess turned to Lester, her eyes widened with fear. "I can't do this," she repeated. "I can't."

"Knowing Becker he will break every traffic rule there is to get here as fast as possible," Lester assured her. "He'll be here before the baby is born."

Another contraction made her cry out again. She absolutely hadn't pictured this to be so painful – and so scary.

"Are you sure you don't want anything for the pain?" Dr. Miller asked.

Jess looked at her. "I don't know, I… Is it safe for the baby?"

"Of course, it is," Dr. Miller assured her. "The spinal anaesthesia won't hurt the baby. You will still feel the contractions and experience the birth at full conscious, but it will be a lot less painful. But you have to make the decision fast, there's not much time left."

Jess thought about it. It was painful, really painful. Feeling another contraction, she gasped, "Okay, I… I want the anaesthesia."

Smiling, Dr. Miller took out the syringe and tube she had prepared beforehand. "Turn to your side," she softly commanded.

Jess hissed when she felt a sting in her back. But then the pain was gone except for a slight feeling of pressure.

"Better?" Dr. Miller asked, helping Jess to turn back around.

"Much better," Jess said with a nod.

"Okay, Mrs Becker, the uterine orifice is already wide open," Dr. Miller told her with an encouraging smile. "When you feel the next contraction, I want you to push."

"I can't," Jess repeated.

"Of course, you can," Lester told her, squeezing her hand. "You fought Dracorexes and future predators. This is a piece of cake in comparison."

"I'm not so sure about that," Jess mumbled through gritted teeth.

"Try to relax," Dr. Miller told her. "It's better for you and the baby – and this will be over a lot faster then. Are you ready?"

"No," she replied, her voice tearful.

"Push!" Dr. Miller commanded.

Jess cried out in pain, but tried to push nonetheless. Sure, it was less painful – but it was still more than just a slight feeling of pressure. Maybe the anaesthesia hadn't fully kicked in yet. "I can't do this again," she mumbled, feeling incredibly exhausted already.

"I'm afraid you'll have to," Lester told her with a smile. "You'll see it was worth the effort when you hold your baby for the first time."

Jess turned to give him a smile. "Thank you," she whispered. "I wouldn't know what to do without…" She was interrupted by another contraction.

"Push!" Dr. Miller and Lester commanded at the same time.

The door flew open and Becker stormed into the room, immediately rushing to Jess' side. "Hey," he whispered, brushing a strand of wet hair out of her face.

"You're here," she mumbled.

"Of course, I am," Becker whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"I can't do this," Jess whispered, a tear escaping her eye. "It's too painful, and I'm… too exhausted."

"Don't worry, you're doing great," he assured her, looking worriedly at Dr. Miller who gave him a reassuring smile.

Looking at Lester, he gave him a firm nod. "Thank you," he whispered.

Lester nodded in return. This certainly was the moment he was supposed to sneak out and leave the parents-to-be alone, but Jess was refusing to let go of his hand.

"You're doing great," Becker repeated, sliding on the bed behind her to offer as much support as he could. He felt Jess relax against him instantly.

"Yes, you're doing a very good job," Dr. Miller assured her with a warm smile. "Only a few more pushes and you'll be parents."

Jess nodded, taking encouragement and new strength from Becker's presence.

Despite the anaesthesia, she felt like the contractions were ripping her whole body apart. Was it just her or were they still getting stronger? She tried to breathe as she'd been told during the classes. She tried to push whenever Dr. Miller told her to. But she really just wanted this to be over.

And then all of a sudden it was. One final push and Dr. Miller announced, "There you go. It's a girl."

"You did it, Jess," Becker whispered, kissing her temple. "It's over."

"Where's… the baby?" she asked breathlessly. "Where's… our daughter?"

"Right here," Dr. Miller replied, smiling widely at her, as she put the freshly cleaned baby into her arms.

Jess didn't even try to stop the tear that rolled down her cheek. "She's so beautiful," she whispered, gently cradling the little bundle.

They had told her about after pains and the expulsion of the afterbirth, but Jess didn't feel anything anymore. She indulged in the feeling of holding their daughter for the first time. Or maybe she was just too exhausted to really feel anything else.

"You were amazing," Becker told her, lovingly looking at the baby in his wife's arms. "I love you, Jess."

Jess didn't answer. She was just too exhausted to say anything. She couldn't stop her eyes from closing.

"Jess? Are you okay?" Becker asked in concern, noticing how incredibly pale she suddenly was. "Jess?" he repeated, but she remained unresponsive. Carefully taking the baby from her arms, he looked first at Dr. Miller then at Lester.

Lester frowned at Jess in concern. This surely wasn't normal. He remembered that his wife had been exhausted after giving birth as well, but she hadn't passed out like this. "Dr. Miller?" Lester demanded.

Without saying a word, she pushed an ultrasound unit next to the bed and let the scanner run over Jess' abdomen. "Mr Lester, call Dr. Ryan, please," she said calmly, rushing to one of the lockers to get the anaesthesia. It only took her a few seconds to fill the syringe and inject the agent into Jess' arm.

Nodding, Lester rushed outside.

"What's wrong?" Becker asked, his face filled with concern.

"There are some complications we have to take care of," Dr. Miller said. "Your wife is bleeding profusely. I'm afraid we'll have to operate."

"Why is she bleeding?" he wanted to know. "What… What does that mean?"

"Since your wife is unconscious, you'll have to make the decision now," Dr. Miller told him without answering his questions.

"What… What decision?" he stuttered, rising from the bed so that he wasn't in the way.

"Are we allowed to perform the surgery?" she asked, waiting for Becker to nod. "Are we allowed to give her banked blood to compensate the blood loss?"

"Of course," Becker whispered. He suddenly felt sick. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be.

"Are we allowed to remove her uterus if necessary?"

"What?" Becker asked in shock. He couldn't make such a decision for Jess.

"Captain Becker, we need your permission to treat her," Dr. Miller insisted.

"Yes," he finally said, looking at Jess' figure on the bed. "Do whatever is necessary to save her life."

Dr. Ryan and two nurses rushed into the room.

Dr. Miller quickly filled them in, and they pushed Jess out of the room and into the OR.

Becker ran a head over his head. This wasn't how he'd pictured this day to go.

"Don't worry," Lester told him, stepping next to him. "They'll deal with whatever complications there are. They know I'll fire them if they don't."

Becker didn't answer. As a matter of fact, he hadn't really heard Lester's words. His mind was trying to process what had just happened – and what this might mean for his future.

It had taken him long enough to realise how he felt for Jess. As a matter of fact, it had been a situation similar to this, he fearing that she wasn't going to survive the day; that had made him understand.

It hadn't escaped his notice that Jess had had a crush on him almost from the moment they'd met. As a matter of fact, it had been hard to miss even for him. He had kept telling himself that it would pass eventually. That she would eventually understand what he had already known; that he wasn't a good man for her. He was a loner, no one a woman like her should fall in love with.

In the end, it had been him who had realised something: that he was in love with her, too. And even after he had known, he had kept pushing her away, telling himself that he would never be good enough for her.

Now, he was happier than he'd even been in his life – and he was about to lose everything he had. He knew he wouldn't want to go on living if anything happened to Jess.

Looking at the baby in his arms, he knew it was selfish to feel that way. He knew the baby would need him, especially if…

He suddenly felt sick, incredibly sick. If he hadn't told her to have the baby…

"Becker," Lester's voice interrupted him. "It's not your fault, and it's not the baby's fault. No one could have known this was going to happen – but I'm sure everything will be fine."

"What if…"

"Don't think about it now," Lester told him. "Think about your daughter and the life you're going to have soon. Jess will be fine."

Becker nodded, looking again at the baby in his arms. She was so small, so vulnerable, and Becker knew she needed him to be strong for her. But he honestly wasn't sure he could be.

He sat down in front of the doors to the OR, cradling their little daughter. Jess had to survive. There was no way she could leave him now – not like that. They were supposed to be a happy family, not a single father and a daughter who would never know her mother.


	4. Normal

**Title: **Normal

**Author:** little_profiler

**Fandom:** Primeval

**Pairing:** Becker/Jess

**Rating:** T (just in case)

**Disclaimer:** Neither the show nor the characters belong to me, they belong to ITV1. Nonetheless, I love to borrow them from time to time. The idea of the story as well as the story itself – including all possible pre- or sequels published afterwards – are mine.

**Summary:** Written for the just-kiss-her vanilla kink meme. The prompt was "Becker goes out of his way to find all of Jess' favourite foods for a picnic." by scripps.

**Warnings:** not beta-read

**Author notes:** Follow up to 'Family'.

It took forever until the door to the OR finally opened again and Dr. Miller came out. She took off her cap, and gave Becker a small smile. "Your wife was bleeding so profusely because her uterus didn't retract properly."

Becker's heart stopped. That didn't sound good. Why on earth did his life have to be such a mess? All their lives, really? Wasn't it enough that their job was far from normal? Couldn't at least such a natural thing as giving birth be normal for them – without the fear of one of them not surviving the day?

"That was why we had to do the surgery," Dr. Miller continued. "It wasn't easy, but your wife is strong. She's doing well."

Becker sighed with relief, feeling every muscle in his body relax. "Can I… Can _we_ see her?" he asked, looking at the baby still snuggled up in his arms.

"Of course," Dr. Miller replied with a smile. "But your wife will certainly still be sleepy."

He nodded absentmindedly as he followed Dr. Miller into one of the rooms. Jess was lying on the bed, a bag of banked blood still attached to her arm, compensating the blood loss.

Dr. Miller pushed a transparent crib next to Jess' bed. "This way your daughter can stay with your wife for the time they both have to be here," she said with a wide smile.

"Can I…" he started, but wasn't sure how to finish the sentence.

"You can stay as long as you want," the doctor told him, moving around the bed to check the IV on Jess' arm.

Looking at Jess' figure on the bed and then into their daughter's face, Becker smiled – something he hadn't felt like doing all day. Only then did he realise how beautiful his little girl was, meaning she definitely took after her mother.

Carefully, Becker sat down next to Jess on the bed, gently stroking her hair.

Jess slowly opened her eyes, smiling up at Becker's face that was filled with concern and relief at the same time, accompanied with an expression she had never seen before.

"Hey," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her forehead before resting his head against hers. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry," she mumbled. "What happened?"

Becker looked at Dr. Miller searching for help. He wasn't sure how he should explain everything to her – and he wasn't sure if he could answer all her questions.

The older woman repeated what she had already told Becker.

"What does that mean?" Jess asked, appalled. "Did you… Did you remove it?"

"No," Dr. Miller said with a warm smile. "You can still have plenty of kids if you want to."

Becker carefully placed the bundle into Jess' arms, and then pulled her close against him. "Our daughter missed her mommy already," he whispered.

"I bet she was happy being held by her daddy as well," Jess replied with a smile, looking into the small face. "She's so tiny," she whispered.

The baby stirred a little, but went back to a peaceful sleep.

"She's gorgeous," Becker added, carefully stroking the baby's cheek. "You did a great job."

Jess looked up at him and realised what the expression was. For the first time he had completely let down his guard, and all his emotions were visible on his face. It was love, deep and utter love for her and their baby.

"I love you, Jess," he whispered, kissing her temple. "Both of you. I love you so much."

"I know," she replied, leaning her head against his. "We love you, too."

"I was so afraid to lose you today," he admitted. "Don't ever do that to me again."

Jess turned to give him a chaste kiss. "I'll try," she promised.

There was a soft knock on the door before it opened and the rest of the team stepped in, headed by Abby. "Hey, turtle doves," she said with a smile. "We just wanted to see the baby."

"Come in," Becker told her without giving up the position next to Jess.

"Guys, meet Charlotte Becker," Jess announced with a wide smile.

Becker looked at her in surprise. It was the name of his mother.

Smiling at him, Jess whispered, "I read your file, remember?"

"I love you," Becker repeated, looking down at the baby. Charlotte. His mother would have loved this.

Abby sat down next to Jess and Becker on the bed, while Matt, Connor and Emily remained standing at the end of it.

"Do you want to hold her?" Jess offered, smiling at Abby.

Abby willingly took the baby from Jess, gently cradling the little girl in her arms. "Oh, she's so beautiful," Abby whispered, grinning like mad.

"I thought you didn't do this whole baby thing," Becker remarked, the corners of his mouth going up in a smirk.

"Oh, hush you," Abby shot back. "I'm cuddling with the cutest human being on the planet."

"So, what was it like?" Emily asked hesitantly.

"Actually, I don't remember much of it," Jess replied. "It was painful and somehow scary, but… Lester was right, it was absolutely worth it. It was… wonderful – in a strange and aching way."

Connor stepped next to Abby, looking at the newborn baby. "Wow, she's… tiny," he remarked. Then he looked at the couple on the bed, adding, "You two did a good job."

"Can I… hold her, too?" Emily carefully asked.

"Sure," Jess told her with a bright smile. "Go ahead."

Carefully taking the baby from Abby, Emily's eyes sparkled and a wide grin appeared on her face. "Hey, little girl," she whispered. "Aw, you're such a beauty."

"Seems like we're not going to be the only couple with offspring," Becker mumbled into Jess' ear, causing her to giggle slightly.

"What is it with women and babies?" Matt asked with a sigh.

"Oh, you're such a grouch," Emily huffed, stepping in front of him. "Here, try holding her!"

Matt stepped back a little, raising his hands in defence. "Um… No, thanks, I… I'm really not good with babies."

"What, you're facing a T-Rex without moving a muscle but you're afraid of a little girl who can't even open her eyes yet?" Becker teased.

Matt gave him a death glare before reluctantly stepping forward and taking the baby from Emily. He looked at the baby, and then at Emily when she giggled. "What?" he snarled.

"You're holding it like a tray or something," Abby told him with a giggle.

"Here, put this arm round here and your other hand like this," Emily said, bringing his arms in a position she considered appropriate to hold a baby.

Matt took a deep breath, looked at the bundle in his arms, and then smirked as she stirred and pursed her lips, sticking out the tip of her tongue.

"See, it's not that bad," Emily said with a warm smile.

Cradling the baby, a huge grin appeared on Matt's face. It was the first time he held a baby, and it felt… wonderful, in a strange way that sent an unknown warmth through his body. "You know, you really did a great job," he said. "Quite unexpected for you."

"Very funny," Becker grumbled.

Abby rolled her eyes. "Can't you two bury the hatchet for at least two minutes?"

"And if you're going to shoot at each other again, give me the baby beforehand, will you?" Connor added, taking the baby from Matt.

Seeing Connor all nuts about the baby, Abby knew they were going to have a talk about children really soon. But for the first time, she wasn't sure she minded.

"Guys," Becker said silently. "I really don't like to throw you out, but…" He pointed his head towards Jess who had fallen asleep again.

"Oh, sure," Abby whispered, taking the baby from Connor and gently lying the little girl down in her crib. Then she ushered the others out of the room.

Becker followed them outside the door.

"Don't think we're not going to come back first thing tomorrow," Abby told him with a smile and hugged him goodbye.

"Can you do me a favour?" he asked reluctantly.

"Hey, you know you don't have to ask," she replied. "Just tell me what you need."

"Well, Jess is going to be here for a while," he started.

Nodding knowingly, Abby said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

Giving her a thankful nod, Becker went back inside the room. He didn't sleep much that night, all the time fearing that something might happen to Jess or the baby. Nothing did happen, though. Both his girls were sleeping peacefully.

When Jess woke up, she felt much better and much stronger – and somehow puffy, at least certain parts of her felt that way. Charlotte started to mewl and Jess knew she was hungry.

Becker immediately jumped up, when his wife stirred and his daughter whined. Taking the baby out of the crib, he gently placed it into Jess' arms. "Good morning, my beauties," he whispered, kissing Jess' temple.

"Good morning, handsome," Jess replied. "Seems like our little girl's hungry."

"Um… shall I…" Becker mumbled, gesticulating towards the door.

Jess turned to frown at him. "You didn't mind seeing my breast when Charlotte was conceived," she teased.

"Yeah, but…" he started, not sure how to finish the sentence.

"I don't mind you staying," Jess told him, latching on Charlotte and smiling at their daughter. "But I won't be mad if you don't want to," she added in a whisper.

Becker slid on the bed behind Jess, gently letting her nestle to his chest, and watched in awe as their little daughter ate. So far, the nurses had taken care of it since Jess had been too weak after the surgery.

Jess felt a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she realised that things couldn't get any better for her. She was at home, and in heaven at the same time.

Smiling at Becker, she handed Charlotte back to him so that he could try to make her burp. She still wasn't allowed to get up.

Becker laid Charlotte back into the crib, and then moved the tray towards Jess the nurses had brought in about an hour ago. "You should eat something," he ordered in a soft voice.

Looking at the sticky slices of bread and the white cheese, she grimaced. "I really don't do hospital slop," she mumbled.

There was a soft knock on the door, and to Jess' call, Lester opened it, sticking his head in. "Hey," he greeted, "I hope I'm not intruding?"

"No, come in," Jess told him, smiling widely, pushing away her disliked breakfast.

"You should eat this," Becker mumbled, knowing that she certainly wouldn't no matter how many people told her to.

Lester stepped inside the room, revealing a little white stuffed teddy bear in his hands. "This was… lying around in my office," he said. "I thought your daughter might like it."

"Thank you," Jess said. "For everything you did for me – for us."

Nodding briefly, Lester walked over to the crib where Charlotte was sleeping again and gently placed the teddy bear next to her.

"You can hold her, if you like," Becker offered.

"Oh, well, I don't want to wake her up," he said. "Besides, I have two children. I know what it feels like."

"And you don't want to lose your integrity because we're putting up a picture of you cradling a baby for auction," Jess teased.

Lester smirked at her. "I'm responsible for the sarcastic comments," he scolded, making Becker chuckle and Jess giggle.

"Yes, sir," she said.

"Now take out your phones, put them on the table and keep your hands where I can see them," he commanded, before leaning over the crib and gently taking out the baby.

The image was so cute and so unlike Lester that Jess and Becker couldn't help but smile.

Seeing the expressions on his inferiors' faces, he added, "If she pukes on my suit, you're both fired."

The door opened and the rest of the team walked in. Huge grins appeared on their faces at the sight of Lester holding the baby.

"One word and I'll shoot you," Lester told them.

Becker used the opportunity to bow out, promising to be back in no time at all. Despite the fact that Jess wasn't allowed to leave the hospital yet, he wanted their first day as a family to be as perfect as possible for her – and that included the food.

He went to the groceries, buying strawberries, grapes and five different bars of chocolate. He knew Jess liked all of the flavours, and she should be able to pick her favourite of the day.

Then he went to a health shop, buying a few of her favourite cereal bars along with some baguette, two jars of strawberry fruit spread, a packet of her favourite vegetarian sausages, and some no-gluten cookies.

He'd never been to a health shop before, and the saleswoman kindly offered her help, smiling almost pitifully at him.

"Well, my wife's at the hospital right now," he told her. "And it's the first day we're allowed to spend with our baby, so I was planning a picnic. I know she comes here pretty often, but I'm not really sure if I remember everything she likes."

"Well, if she comes here regularly, she surely has a loyalty card," the woman offered. "What's her name?"

"Jessica Becker," he replied. Then it occurred to him that maybe she hadn't changed her name here yet. "Um… her maiden name's Parker."

"I know," the woman said, smiling at him. "Jess comes here twice a week, usually – even though I haven't seen her during the last trimester of her pregnancy."

Becker smiled. Of course, there was no way the saleswoman wouldn't remember Jess.

The woman leaned over the counter, eying Becker up and making him feel slightly uncomfortable. "I admit, she hasn't exaggerated, you're really a hottie," she said with a grin.

Becker smirked. Yeah, that sounded like Jess, talking about him like that.

"So, she delivered yesterday? How is she?" the woman asked, a little concerned.

"Fine," he answered, taking a deep breath. "Well, there… were some complications, but… She's fine now. But she'll have to stay in hospital a while longer."

"Okay, let's see what she usually buys, except for what you already got." The woman hit a few keys on her computer, looking not nearly as elegant as Jess usually did working on a computer.

Smiling, she handed him two bottles of pomegranate juice and a few plastic bottles of drinkable yoghurt.

Nodding thankfully, Becker paid the woman, and rushed back to the ARC. He wasn't surprised to find the rest of the team still gathered around Jess and Charlotte. And he wasn't surprised that Lester had already gone back to his office.

"Hey," Jess greeted, frowning at the bags in his hands. "Where have you been?"

"Um… shopping," he replied, placing the bags next to her on the bed. He looked around, then pulled a table closer to the bed and started to spread out his pickings.

Jess' eyes widened at the variety of all her favourite foods and sweets on the table in front of her. "You… You've gone to the health shop?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," he admitted. "Mary asked me to say hello – and she agrees with you that I'm a hottie." He grinned when Jess blushed slightly.

"What… are these?" Jess asked utterly perplexed.

"A picnic," Becker announced. "This is the first day we can spend with our daughter and I… wanted you to feel as comfortable as possible here at the medical bay – and since you refused to eat your breakfast..." He blindly gesticulated towards the tray next to her bed.

"Aw, that is so sweet," Abby squealed. Then she slapped Connor. "You never organised a picnic for me."

"You weren't trapped at the medical bay yet?" he offered, grinning at her, knowing that she was just teasing him – or at least hoping so.

"Come on, guys," Matt interrupted them. "Let's leave the turtle doves alone! We might risk Lester firing us if we stay much longer."

Jess smiled widely at Becker. "This was the cutest thing anyone ever did for me," she whispered.

He leaned closer to her, mumbling, "In case you haven't noticed yet, I'd do anything for you, Jess. For you and Charlotte." Smiling, he captured her lips with his.

Maybe his life wasn't normal, but this was close enough.


End file.
